I really enjoyed how well Kerr captured Bowie’s growth since school and Katie’s struggles not just coming face to face with him after all these years but also with the long term effects her high school years had on her.

Bowie had his reasons for doing the things he did (in addition to being a stupid teenager) but he didn’t really understand exactly how damaging his actions were. Now the dad of a preteen daughter it hits home a little too hard exactly what he did. But the years have also turned him into a stand-up guy and he’s not going to hide from it. Hopefully, though, he can prove to Katie exactly how much he’s changed.

I can’t imagine how hard it was for Katie to meet Bowie again. High school can be bad under normal circumstances and truly awful when you find yourself a target. But she handles it with class. She doesn’t let him completely off the hook but she keeps her sense of humor about her when she goes about getting her revenge. Revenge that has her spending time with Bowie and his endearing family, both two legged and four. Before long she’s finding them all pretty hard to resist.

If the zoo’s misfit animals don’t steal your heart, then Bowie’s cute-as-a-button daughter definitely will. They provide a little extra charm to be the backdrop of an already delightfully irresistible guy who is trying really hard to prove that he deserves a second chance. Full of humor and fun, with the right amount of heartfelt moments and even a little suspense mixed in, Kerr delivers an absolutely adorable read that I found pretty darn hard to put down.

**Review given honestly and freely after receipt of a reader copy. This opinion is completely my own and was not influenced in any way.**

Madsen perfectly captures Liam and Chelsea’s conflict. They both are struggling with their attraction but their friendship is so massively important that just the thought of endangering that is unthinkable. And she makes sure that readers get that – we understand how they support each other and how they suffered with the recent distance in their relationship. But sometimes things are bigger than you can control and even though it takes a while they finally give in … and it is wonderful. For a while :)

As is probably evident, there is a bit of back and forth here that might get old for some readers but for me Madsen uses it to really bring home how important this decision is for them. It would normally bother me, and I did want to smack them (especially Liam) more than once, but it works for this story. So while it may be a slow burn romance, Madsen makes sure that the journey is full of humor, cuteness, and touching moments to keep readers going. Before she turns on the steam!

**Review given honestly and freely after receipt of a reader copy. This opinion is completely my own and was not influenced in any way.**

*3.5 Stars*

I really enjoyed how well Evans handled Stephen's issues with his sight and how he's dealing with his fear about what his future holds.  It's definitely an intimidating prospect and bleak for a man of his position & personality.  His emphasis on not getting married or having children got just a bit repetitive but as he started fighting his heart he was doing everything he could to remember why. 

Unfortunately I think that Penelope's situation with her husband was a bit weaker but it was still interesting.  She worked hard to get Stephen involved but didn't really want him to find out the complete truth.  I'm not sure what she expected him to do but I don't know that it was well thought out because he's not the type to let it go without finding out everything. 

I do think the two of them together are enjoyable and I really liked how supportive & understanding of Stephen she is.  She sees things about him, including his vision issues, that no one else does but she does what she can to help him understand that no matter what he has value.  It's sweet and a joy to read.  

**Review given honestly and freely after receipt of a reader copy. This opinion is completely my own and was not influenced in any way.**

Note: While this is loosely tied to Ruggle's Rocky Mountain K9 Unit (Steve was a firefighter in Monroe) but other than realizing that some pretty bad things happened there this one pretty much stands on its own.

I absolutely love Steve & his kids and how they accept & understandd Camille.  She also brings her own unique views to this lovely family, adding a little softness that they all needed.  It's sweet, heartwarming, and absolutely hilarious because she's so awkwardly endearing when it comes to falling for Steve.  They made me giggle so many times :)  And his kids are just so darn adorable - smart, precocious, and brilliant.  

There is a bit of danger in the story but it doesn't take central stage.  Instead Ruggle makes sure to tie it in just enough to remind you that there is a bad guy out there but not enough to take away from all of the important emotional moments and the bonding between Camille & the Springfields.  

**Review given honestly and freely after receipt of a reader copy. This opinion is completely my own and was not influenced in any way.**

(4.5 stars)

I’ve seen a few complaints about how much time has gone by with Devlyn sitting on the sidelines of Garrett & Mia’s life buuuut I think because Lane gives us both of their points of view we really have an understanding of where they are coming from. And come on, men (especially romance story heroes) can be so clueless about love, life, and feelings. And once he caught on he didn’t really waste any time :)

You definitely have to admire Garrett’s dedication to his daughter. At 17 he stepped up and made himself into a wonderful dad and has spent the past couple of decades giving everything to Mia. He’s adorable and I loved their relationship together. You can see why, even if it is a little sad, that Devlyn has spent so long pining for him.

And I think that is what readers most have an issue with. They see her as a doormat, letting the Hollis family walk all over her for 20 years. And while Garrett’s obliviousness can be a bit frustrating, it is very believable. Lane does a good job of explaining why their friendship has basically been in a holding pattern for so long and making you feel it with them as they contemplate changing it now. It’s scary, but with a little faith and love they can figure it out.

**Review given honestly and freely after receipt of a reader copy. This opinion is completely my own and was not influenced in any way.**

I'll be honest, I usually avoid the in/fresh-out-of college, new adulty kind of book.  Most of the time I just can't connect with the characters but Harms does a really good job here of giving readers people that they can like.  Both AJ and Rhett are reasonable and appealing (no melodrama), they have good friends and loving families (with characters returning readers will love to see again), and a slow build romance that is down-to-earth and lifelike.   

At first, I did have a little concern with how love AJ waited for Rhett to get over himself and move on with his life.  However, I don't think she sat around and pined.  She was just very patient and I remember that feeling - circling around someone, waiting for them to notice you.  Once he does, though, Rhett definitely steps up :)  It may have taken him a while (and a few smacks up to the side of his head from his friends) to decide to move on, but he's definitely smart enough to recognize a good thing when it's right in front of him.  

(I have seen a few complaints about how Rhett handles some things but I didn't mind it at all.  I understood where he was coming from and what he was saying.  I'm not sure if there was some confusion with the words the author used or maybe a little transference onto his character but I didn't get the same vibe that some did.)

Those looking for some kinda over-the-top love triangle story won't find it here.  Instead, Allure is a sweet read about moving on and finding love again.  I will admit that there was a little drag in a couple because there wasn't a lot of drama to the story.  To me it seemed that pages went by without a lot of character or plot development, so it was just about getting us to the end and the HEA catalyst.  But Harms definitely knows how to bring that about.  I really enjoyed the ending and how everything is wrapped up in a feel-good way.   

**Review given honestly and freely after receipt of a review copy. This opinion is completely my own and was not influenced in any way.**

I feel a little bad for the reviews this book is getting.  A lot of the negative comments are based on what the readers expected from the book, which is for it to be like the author's previous religious love stories.  They are understandably a bit upset that instead they got a "clean" contemporary romance that included cursing and more amorous moments than her previous books.  I'm there with them that when a book is not what you thought it would be, it will usually lower the enjoyment of it.  And I can even see why they would expect a certain thing if that is what the author always delivered before.  (Who doesn't get a little thrown when a favorite author changes things up significantly?) 

Fortunately for me, I didn't come in with any expectations and I really enjoyed it.  

Gray's writing is very smooth, which made for an easy read, and I found myself engrossed in the characters and everyone's lives.  There are actually 4 POVs for this story - Kurt, Emily, Sam, and his classmate Kay.  They all come across as super realistic and have to deal with some pretty difficult situations. 

Take a Chance is as much about the Holland boys as it is a love story between Kurt and Emily ... and is all the better for it.    I found myself rooting so much for those two as they try to get their footing in a new situation & a new town, finding love and friendship as well as the hope for something better.  Things aren't easy for them but they deal the best they can, giving readers a wonderfully heartwarming tale.  I'm really looking forward to what Gray has in store for us next.    

**Review given honestly and freely after receipt of a reader copy. This opinion is completely my own and was not influenced in any way.**

I’m giving this one 3.5 stars … I’m not quite comfortable with giving it 4 but it definitely doesn’t deserve 3.

As you can imagine this story spends a lot of time delving into trust issues. Taylor has had some really bad luck with men and so she’s pretty much at the point of thinking they are all going to treat her poorly. Then when she does meet one that seems like he could be different, he turns out to be an ex-con. Not having known anyone who has gone to jail, she’s pretty much only got stereotypes to go off of. It’s a slow process as Joe shows Taylor what an up-standing guy he is, regardless of a stupid choice in his youth.

There is a lot of back-and-forth on the romance side of things as they both struggle with timing and their own histories. I can understand where Taylor comes from on a lot of stuff but Joe really is a good man and he shows it. There comes a point where I think that some readers might be tired of her attitude but luckily she figures things out.

*** I voluntarily read a Review Copy of this book. All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else’s. ***

I think Abby is one of my favorite heroines.  Her mom is a horrible person but thanks to her grandparents she managed to turn out to be amazingly genuine and has a huge heart.  She's been in love with Gray for practically her entire life but when he asks her to marry him, she doesn't jump at the chance.  Part of it is that she doesn't believe that Gray is thinking clearly and doesn't actually want to marry her (she has a little bit of a self-confidence issue thanks to her horrid mom).  She's also afraid of what the rest of the town will say about their nuptials but she does eventually agree, throwing herself into the relationship with dignity & courage.     

Gray's home-life wasn't all that good.  He had an combatant alcoholic for a father and all feminine fixtures in the house would only put up with so much before leaving.  And unfortunately that included his own wife.  With the death of his father, Gray doesn't want to take the chance he'll end up like him and decides that a marriage based on logic is better than one based on emotion.  To him, Abby is the perfect candidate - sensible, steady, and will provide a little softness to his hard life & for his daughter . . . but what is he going to do when those pesky emotions enter into things?  He's not the best with feelings under normal conditions and definitely not when he's not expecting them.  

A man with some pretty thick walls and a woman who questions her own appeal find themselves at the mercy of love's power and the goodness of a caring heart in this beauty of a Christmas story.  A wonderful journey of healing and self-discovery, A True Cowboy Christmas will give you those all over warm & gooeys that you crave at this time of year.

**Review given honestly and freely after receipt of a reader copy. This opinion is completely my own and was not influenced in any way.**

For some reason I skipped reading Bishop (book 1 in this series) and I’m kinda regretting it now 🙂 I know from her Cold Fury Hockey series that Bennett delivers sizzling page turners and Erik proved no different.

Blue doesn’t like Erik and she’s not afraid to show it. He’s not sure why, but he’s going to find out. She sure isn’t going to make it easy, though, and from the very first I knew it would be entertaining. Things have pretty much gone his way up to this point and Erik’s not had to fight for much. But the more that he gets to know Blue, the more effort he’s willing to put in. Charming, sharp, and sexy, he plans to pull out all the stops to show Blue why he’s worth giving a chance.

If you are looking for a spicy read that has heart, Bennett is definitely a go-to author. She knows how to make things hot but she also gives you delightful characters and relationships that you can really get involved in.

(While Erik is part of a series, it can easily stand on its own.)

**Review given honestly and freely after receipt of a reader copy. This opinion is completely my own and was not influenced in any way.**