Cooper's Charm is full of all the feels and charm that you could ask for.  The characters are entertaining, with just a touch of troubles to keep you reading.  

Phoenix is at the little resort to take some time to herself and recover from a traumatic experience.  She's definitely not expecting to be attracted to her new boss, especially a man who is working to overcome his own past.  The timing may not be the best but these two troubled hearts may just be what each other needs.  

Ridley is only at Cooper's Charm to make sure that her sister is OK.  Coming out of a bitter divorce she's definitely not interested in getting involved again either.  How do you think that works out?  

I loved these people - they are complex and their interactions kept me entertained.  I found myself cheering for them all as they work through their issues and move toward really living in the world again. 

Foster is definitely one of today's most popular romance author's, with everything from sports romances to romantic suspenses, but I have to admit that her contemporary romances are my favorite.  She's just got such a wonderful way about crafting her characters and I always get so involved in their lives.  I'm definitely looking forward to what she has in store next at the summer resort.  

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

Total Bravery is another installment in the True Heroes world but not really a continuation of the series. Raul is starting a new job in Hawaii and has just become partners with Taz, a German Shepherd Dog that was trained at Hope’s Crossing. That’s pretty much it for the crossover with the original stories :) Well, that and the general feel of the story – sexy, smart, and bada** hero, a strong heroine in need of help, and a group of colleagues that are more than capable of helping out.

Mali is my kinda heroine – smart and level-headed. When things go bad for her, she doesn’t freak out, listens to those with more experience, and does her best to stay out of the way when she needs to. She may need help but she’s definitely no damsel in distress. Raul is the kind of ex-military hero you’d expect. He’s got the training but he’s also got the heart to do what he needs to do in any given situation. It’s not always the easy thing but he tries his best to make it the best one.

I feel like Piper does a pretty good job delving into a difficult situation here, addressing human trafficking. It’s an awful, heart-breaking, and so very real. Between Mali’s research and what they come across while trying to find her missing teammates, we get an idea of how easy and dangerous it can be. It’s not near as bad here as it is in real life but it gives you enough of a feel for it that your imagination can run wild.

I do kinda wish we’d gotten a little bit more about why Raul doesn’t feel worthy of being with Mali. It seemed like ti would become an issue, and he flirts around the edges of his reasoning, but then he gets over it. There are a few family issues between Mali and Arin that I think need a bit more exploration but I’m hoping that there will be ample time for that in a story starring Arin. Overall, though, Drake does a good job of tying up her threads in a complete and satisfying story. (Just like the Siri sister drama I’m anticipating more with the big bad from the story showing up in future books.)

A mix of intrigue, action, and smoldering romance, Total Bravery is well written, well paced, and just in general well done :)

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

Winner Takes All has a little different feel to it, especially in relation to the other books in this series, but I absolutely loved the opportunity to join Storm and Colleen as they take on The Great American Scavenger Hunt.  It was a little like reading a recap of an early season of The Amazing Race, which was one of my favorite series when it first came out,.  All of the fun of a road trip without ever leaving your chair :)  I was a little unsure about how the timing matched up, and there was a few places where it definitely felt weird, but overall it was a great ride.  And I loved how it gave Colleen and Storm a chance to connect as adults and remember how close they were once upon a time. 

Although the fourth in a series, I feel like this one is easily a stand alone story.  We have gotten to know Colleen a bit, especially her past and how she treated others, which probably helps readers understand better the person she is today.  But I think it also works if you are getting to know the new her through Storm's perspective.  Winter does a great job of throwing Storm and Colleen together, forcing them to have to address their own issues as well as their thoughts about each other.  The high stress, intimate time together doesn't give them much chance to hide from each other.  Or themselves.

**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 usually stick to the lords and ladies of England when it comes to any historicals that I read but every once in a while something else will catch my eye. And I have to say I’m really glad that something was this book.

Things have been really, really hard for both Tally and Clay (and their friends). Horrible circumstances and maybe some bad decisions by themselves and/or others have led them down a difficult path. Clay’s life as an outlaw has left him with a price on his head but he’s intent on starting over and creating a new life for himself. One that involves a woman to share it with. Unfortunately Tally has her own demons to fight and she brings a bit of trouble with her to Devil’s Crossing.

I loved that both Clay and Tally are determined to find a way to have a good life. They don’t turn away when things get difficult, or if they do they quickly figure out that they need to stand up for themselves and what’s right even when it’s challenging. Neither of them are coming to this relationship whole but they know they want better and they are willing to work at it. There are people that depend on them and they are making a new family, a new life, together and it requires them to learn to trust each other and work together.

Broday doesn’t make things easy for anyone here but she definitely gives readers a page-turner of a story. With every new hardship or threat that comes knocking at their door, Clay and Tally do their best to meet it head on. They’ve had rough times in the past and the future isn’t coming easy, but they are going to face it together. Moments of danger kept me glued to the pages but so did the more tender moments as they work together to make a family of their little band of misfits. It’s as heart-warming as it was suspenseful, and I look forward to having Broday take me for another ride.

(Note: This is the first in this series, which is a spinoff of an existing one. It can stand alone but I’m curious how much I would have already known about these characters if this wasn’t the first book I’d read by this author. I don’t think it impacted much but may have added some depth.)

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

My review is not going to give this book justice. And I don’t know how to make sure you understand just how good it is!

I think my favorite part of this book (and is isn’t an easy choice!) is that this is just as much about Bennett and Noah as it is Harper and either of them. The relationship that these two build, even if Bennett goes into it dragging his feet, is so real and so touching. Bennett has spent almost his whole life being either unwanted or left behind. He’s learned to keep himself apart so he doesn’t get hurt but Noah doesn’t let him. Noah’s openness and just plain ol’ good-heartedness makes him impossible to resist and before long these two are like brothers. Unfortunately that means that Noah’s death is just another rug pulled out from under Bennett and one that is even more painful for the way it happens.

I love Harper’s resilience but her life after Noah is hard-fought. There were times during the flashback chapters that hurt with what I knew was coming. And one in particular (no spoilers!) that made me ugly-cry. But with the help of family and friends, and a little therapy, she’s at a point where a relationship might actually work. And the one that she develops with Bennett may not be simple because of their pasts, but it is so very real and works so well for the people that they’ve become.

Trentham also brings in some of the difficulties our military personnel and their families face every day. While it is a solid mechanism to get Bennett and Harper together, it’s also a main storyline on its own and handled with the grace & respect such a difficult issue deserves. It’s not easy – either picking yourself up after being left behind, dealing with the pain and troubles faced by those who have returned, or waiting for loved ones to come home (and fearing for news that no one ever wants to get). But Trentham makes sure that we get an understanding of exactly how strong these people have to be, both those serving and the ones who love them.

I’ll be the first to admit that I love everything that Trentham puts out buuuuut this is probably my favorite. She manages to elicit just about every emotion possible and make it look easy. So be prepared to laugh and cry and everything in between.

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

This book made me happy. I loved the rascally twins and their inventive (and sometimes) disgusting pranks, which is hiding a deeper pain (of course). They are adorable as only fictional scamps can be. I also loved how much Amanda understood them and worked to redirect them in a positive manner, winning them over. But most of all I love how she manages to break Jamie out of the prison he’s locked himself in. With the death of his wife he’s pretty much shut down, throwing himself totally into his work, which unfortunately has meant that his sons have suffered from a bit of neglect. Of course, Amanda proves pretty hard to ignore.

The timeline of this story is pretty short. I think the whole thing happens in just a couple of months, and Jamie & Amanda hardly spend any time together, so you have to be OK with an insta-love kinda situation. But it worked for me. I liked the two of them together and I was totally in to a quick romance. If I end the book with a smile, it’s a good read in my mind.

**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've read a few of Denault's books but this is my first in this series ... and I'm SO upset at what I've been missing!  (This one can stand on its own, btw.)  These characters are complicated and such a joy to read.  

Winnie has recently lost her dad and is reeling.  She's hiding at her family's cottage and doing her best to ignore everything & everyone.  Unfortunately she's not able to ignore Holden.  She gives it a good try though, and is quite abrasive with him for a long time, but Denault does a wonderful job of gradually bringing things around - with Winnie warming to the changes in Holden as well as working her way through her grief with his help.  

Holden has a terrible history in the town and Winnie isn't very receptive to the idea that he's changed.  Realizing why he was so difficult as a child makes you just want to give him a huge hug and not let go for like a week.  He was never a bad person but he worked hard to push buttons and even though he's outgrown that it's going to take a while to live down his reputation.  He's a truly good guy though and that shines through, especially with his treatment of Winnie.

Things are difficult between the two but it was (happily) low on the melodrama.  These are people with real issues they are working through and they handle it in a manner that resonated with me.  There's quite a few 2 steps forward & 1 step back moments but it never got old (while it easily could have) and I found myself rooting for them to figure things out.  But I finished Now or Never wishing for more pages because I didn't want their story to end.  

**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 wasn't sure how I was going to feel about this one.  It's ripe for drama and conflict but surprisingly (and happily) Richards steered away from that.  Instead we get a couple of people going from friends to lovers, with just a few bumps along the way.  Neither of them are very good at talking about how they feel and make a lot of assumptions.  It took a bit to get over what they did on the day of the funeral - it only makes sense that it would make things awkward, which only exasperates their difficulty in communicating.  

There's so many emotions running through Child of Mine.  You can't help but feel for Lauren as she deals with the disaster that her marriage turned in to, the fear of problems with her pregnancy, and the conflict over her relationship with Cole.  Speaking of Cole, he's just about a saint.  His mother is just awful and he's been in love with his brother's wife for years!  Things work out the way they should, but your heart goes out to him every step of the way.  (And I love Lauren even more for what she does for him at the end - he deserves someone on his side for once!)  

This is the first book by Richards that I've read but I definitely doubt it will be my last!  I loved her characters and she does a fabulous job of giving them a story that treats them well.  

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

Fox's latest Blue Moon Harbor book definitely deals with a difficult topic.  A good portion of it addresses what happened to Julian, how it affected him (then & now), and how it has caused problems for him in his relationships throughout his life.  It's ugly and painful but I felt like Fox handles it very well.  Julian needs to come to terms with it in order to have a healthy future and it's an emotional journey for him & those who love him.

Even though I'm not the most outgoing person, as introverted as I can be I still had a little trouble connecting to Iris.  I know that the Japanese have certain characteristics that most (and definitely the typically brash Americans) can't understand or really grasp.  I think that Fox does her best explaining Iris and her outlook - and I really love how she describers their history in the area and its impact, even today - but I think that someone that shy/reserved can be hard to understand.  She is a great complement to Julian, but it isn't easy making her a relatable character.

Full of traumatic issues and a wide range of emotions, Sail Away with Me isn't the most peaceful read but it is definitely one worth doing.  The end makes up for any pain that the journey causes.

**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 was a little concerned about the whole "promised to one brother but falling for another" idea but Enoch manages to pull it off well.  Neither Amelia-Rose (man, that's a mouthful) nor Coll had any say in their engagement and there is a little bit of a trial run before anything is announced so that helps.  Plus, Coll is a big man-baby and pitches a hissy about the whole thing, disappearing for a few days and leaving Niall to clean up his mess ... and fall for his intended.  

I really liked Niall. He's smart (and smart-mouthed), has a highlanders sense of himself, manages to charm just about everyone, and doesn't take any guff.  He is also the only one who ever really supports Amelia-Rose.  He goes out of his way to see that she gets a say in her life and the opportunity to realize who she is supposed to be.  

And about that.  The blurb makes her seem like she's got more spunk than she does.  She was herself her first season and things didn't go well.  Now, she's following her mother's demands and is trying to be more subdued and "ladylike", with only the occasional slip.  Luckily for her, Niall brings out her true self and, even more important, he likes her for who she is.  She still falls back to being prim when he's not around - and tends to get pushed around by her mother - but the more time they are together the happier she is with herself.  It's heartening and fun to see because those two together are a hoot. 

I'm curious to see where Enoch is going with this series.  Their mother (and sister) is fabulous and I want so much for her to get her wish of a relationship with her sons.  As an introduction, Coll didn't exactly present himself as an appealing person, although we get insights into why he acts the was he does, so it will take a bit of redeeming for him I think.  And we didn't really get much from the second son, other than the strong family loyalty all the MacTaggert's possess.  I'm looking forward to see what women manage to bring the other highlanders to heel. 

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