DNF - I knew going in that it was more of a performance piece, but it was all performance and I just couldn't follow the voices to tell who was who.

I was quite lost at the beginning of the story. While the book is part of the Texas Sized Mystery series, they are marketed as being able to read as stand-alones. I feel like I really needed to have known things from other books here. It jumped right into characters and places, and I had no idea who they were and there was no introduction to them.

Once I figured out who was who, and what was what, they story got a lot better. But I still had some problems with it. For one, our victim seems to be a collossal idiot, and his family really didn’t seem to care about him at all. I sort of understand why his wife wouldn’t, but the rest, while putting on displays of sorrow, it didn’t feel real to me. Perhaps because they weren’t allowed to really become more than part of the background scenery instead of real part of the story.

The whole time, the book points to one person as the murderer and paints them in a very unflattering light. I get putting out a false lead or two, but this seemed to derail the entire investigation, and I’m surprised they managed to figure out who really did it because the police didn’t seem to be really looking into anything. Perhaps it’s because this was a shorter story, and there wasn’t enough time to really dive deep into the mystery, but I really expected a bit more.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Caraval by Stephanie Garber was quite an interesting trip down the rabbit hole. Scarlet and Donatella are sisters that are incredibly different - as many sisters are. Scarlet is looking for a way to safely escape their horrible father, but Donatella is looking for adventure.

And adventure is what they find - but it's not the adventure either of them really thought it would be. Separated before they can enter Caraval - the story follows Scarlet as she searches for her sister through the crazy twists and turns of the game. And if she wins - she will be rewarded with one wish.

I loved the atmosphere of Caraval. It was a very well-balanced mix of the dark and dangerous with the bright and spectacular. You never know who is really a player or a performer, who is telling the truth and who is lying, and which way the clues will lead you next.

The ending was quite a surprise. While I had figured some of the mysteries out, there were still several that I to find out right along with Scarlet - which is always nice. There's just enough left unknown at the end that you will NEED to get book two started, so you might want to have that on hand.

I loved the little nods to Alice in Wonderland along the journey. Just enough to notice, but not so much that Caraval didn't remain it's own unique story and place.

Love's Healing Home by Claire Colby was a really cute story that introduced me to the "Flower Sisters" as they come to be called around town. The star of the first book is Rose, a teacher that has moved to Texas. The reasons for her move are a little vague. She wants to get away from her ex-fiance who broke her heart, and one of her sisters needed to relocate because of "something bad."

Matt is the hunky neighbor who just happens to work at the school where Lily will be teaching in the fall. He was a fun character. An all-around good guy, but sometimes he seemed a little one-dimensional. There wasn't all that much to him.

Lily was a little more complex, and their relationship comes on really fast. As a novella, I didn't get a lot of the slow burn and build up that I like to see. There wasn't a lot standing in their way, so at times I struggled to find the conflict.

The copy I read had quite a few errors that tended to take me out of the story. I still enjoyed overall, but I think it could have used a little more polishing.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Love's Healing Heart by Claire Colby had a nice dash of suspense added in that made things a bit exciting. Again, the book seemed to move really fast, and I think that's just how this series goes. The romance seemed to really blossom between Rose and Lloyd. And, as always, I loved seeing the characters from book one again.

Lloyd is your pretty typical hero. Always looking out for everyone and arriving just in time to save the day. While that's all really great, I wish he had a little more depth.

At times, Rose fell into the same rut as Lloyd. She seemed to be little more than her trauma. Now, I know that can happen to people, and it can take over their lives. But I feel like there was something under the surface that we just weren't given a chance to see.

The romance is super sweet (and not just that it was a clean romance). When Rose and Lloyd are together, you just want to say, "Awwww...." And there was something I just loved about that.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Racing to Rhapsody by Selena Laurence was a fun look at two very different people who were very right for each other. Both Dez and Shannon were amazing characters. And I couldn't help but cheer them on the whole way.

Both characters had very different things to overcome. Shannon's relationship with her father was incredibly toxic. She struggles to walk away from it all and justify her feelings. Success isn't all there is. And sometimes you do need to slow down.

Dez was a bit of a trip. He was soooo much fun and open-minded that I sometimes wondered how he could possibly like Shannon at all. But it turns he needed a little bit of her drive in his life.

Racing to Rhapsody wasn't a big rush to the end. While there were plenty of exciting moments, there's was some much-needed downtime for the characters to connect. it read a lot more real-world romance than many rock star romance I've read. And I really appreciate the look at the couple as just two people falling in love.

Behind the Frame by Tracy Gardner finds Savannah deep in another murder investigation. It all starts with a beheaded statue in the park and ends up with a dead councilman in his house. And of course, this all happens as the town is preparing for the Art in the Park festival.

Savannah is certain the event will pull out, and she dives right in trying to figure out what is going on. Her investigation takes on a life of its own as she follows leads and uncovers a little more than she bargained for.

With plenty of quirky characters and high-speed antics, Behind the Frame kept me turning the pages and wondering what Savannah and her sisters (I still can't keep them straight in my head though) would get up to next. I almost wish the sisters would have a book that really focused on them so I could finally keep their names straight. I just can't seem to do it even though I really want to!

The ending was a bit of a surprise, and not where the case had led us at the beginning. Savannah was as fun as ever, and watching her relationship with the townsfolk grow was a lot of fun. I see her settling in for the long haul here and having plenty of adventures down the line.

***I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book***

Introducing Charlie, a cute little puppy with a bit of an issue with hyperactivity and the determination to find matches for a group of his friends. Charlie was the binding element to the four short stories of single friends finding love. While Charlie was a hit in each story, the first and last story were really the best for me. The middle two fell just a tad short.

The first story, where we get to meet the energetic Charlie and his dog-sitter Gabby was definitely my favorite of the batch. Her story of high school love separated by tough circumstances was fantastic - and I loved Gabby! She is the outgoing artsy type and even if you don't read the rest of the stories, this one is worth getting the book.

Marney's love comes in the shape of an unnecessary 911 call and a visit from the local sheriff. There's was a bit rushed for me, even for a short story. Mia's story just wasn't very memorable, although I love Charlie's bra-eating escapade. The dog will stop at nothing to get his chosen people together.

The book closes with Jenny - a teacher and dog lover that actually kidnaps Charlie for a short period of time, but all is good because in this story we have two happily ever afters and it was the perfect ending to this little mini-series.

Her Bad Idea by Sagan Morrow is the super flirty and very powerful story of Scarlett. She is determined to make her business succeed on her own. But things are going well, and she is so set on doing it herself, she doesn’t tell anyone or ask anyone for help.

When she’s set up with Pete for the dance competition, she’s pretty disappointed. She really really doesn’t like him and they rub each other the wrong way every time they meet. Unless they let loose and just dance.

When they dance, there are sparks, and the sparks are hard to ignore. Their fake relationship to build up hype for the dance competition, pushes them together outside the dance studio. And, eventually, they start to get to know each other. Then everything changes.

I think one of my favorite scenes in Her Bad Idea is Scarlett and her friends sitting down and having a really honest conversation. A conversation about business, love, life, and what Scarlett really wants from all of it. It was a powerful look into their friendship and a turning point for Scarlett.

Don’t let this downplay the serious hotness that is Scarlett and Pete. You could feel the underlying tension every time they were on the page together – and sometimes when they weren’t together. Definitely a super hot slow burn that is well worth the wait.

***I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book***

Dead-End Detective by Amanda Flower was a fun story, but it felt like it had some holes. It starts off with a bang. Darby's business partner and mentor dies - appears to have been run off a cliff in her car. But she was well-liked and no one knows who would want to hurt her - let along kill her. As a certified P.I. Darby is determined to figure it out, especially since it looks like she may be the number one suspect.

The author did a great job with this primary mystery. The clues were laid out beautifully, and each step was important, even if it wasn't apparent why at first. I really enjoyed following the breadcrumbs and sharing the "ah-ha" moment with Darby. We figured it out at the same time, and it takes some writing skill to make that happen.

The biggest issue I had was some of the side mysteries. I can see why they were mentioned so we could have some background and people to question about Samantha's death, but the one that they ended up solving just made no sense. It was a little too tidy and all forgiven. I'm hoping parts of it come into play in future books in the series though.

Overall, a good start to the series. I feel like I really go to know Darby. There are a couple of cats that keep things light-hearted. But I feel like Tate needs to round out a bit more. I didn't even mention him before now, because he felt like a bit of an afterthought addition at times.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**