I love the lightness of this cozy mystery. I enjoy learning all about Holiday Junction and how this town celebrates every holiday. I love how Violet has become a great member of this town. I enjoyed how Violet solves this murder before it ruins the towns enjoyment of the holiday. I received a copy of the book from the publisher for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

I give this book a five out of five stars.

PUBLISHER DESCRIPTION

Welcome to Holiday Junction—where cocoa flows, tinsel twinkles, and murder lurks just beneath the snow.Local journalist and amateur sleuth Violet Rhinehammer planned to cover the town’s cozy festivities at the lodge, not investigate a chilling crime. But when a renowned artist is found dead, the Merry Maker’s magic is overshadowed by secrets, lies, and a stolen ornament design that could hold the key to a killer’s identity.As the suspect list grows—complete with bitter rivals, suspicious relatives, and gossipy Southern Charm reporters—Violet finds herself drawn into the heart of the mystery. With charming lawyer Darren Strickland offering both help and holiday distractions, Violet uncovers long-buried secrets hidden in the lodge’s tunnels. But with the killer still at large, the snow-covered streets of Holiday Junction may not be so merry after all.Can Violet untangle the twisted motives and solve the case before the tree lighting ceremony—or will this Christmas end with a deadly surprise?Holly Homicide is a festive cozy mystery packed with holiday charm, small-town intrigue, and a dash of romance that will leave readers warm and sleuthing well into the night.

I loved each of the novellas in this book. I loved that each novella is filled with romance and suspense. I enjoyed all the twists and turns and the surprises that each story held. I think my favorite story was Downfall. I loved Cassie and Donovan. I received a copy of the book from the publisher for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

I give each of the novellas in this book a five out of five stars.

Prepare for three times the thrills with these nail-biting page-turners from your favorite romantic suspense authors!

In In the Dark by Lynette Eason, accountant Steph Cross is cleaning out a coworker’s desk after her untimely death when she finds cryptic notes that lead her to believe her friend’s car accident was no accident at all. Detective Tate Cooper is determined to help her crack the case before someone else gets hurt. But can he protect the woman who has so quickly laid claim to his heart?

In Downfall by Lynn H. Blackburn, chef Cassie Quinn gets an offer she can’t refuse: to fill in as chef at an exclusive mountain resort. But when the kitchen is destroyed and it becomes clear Cassie is in danger, she’s forced to accept the help of her ex-boyfriend, Detective Donovan Bledsoe, to find the culprit and keep her safe.

In Perilous Obsession by Natalie Walters, teacher Lahela Young becomes the target of someone with a twisted obsession of righting a wrong. The first person she turns to is her good friend Briggs Turner. Briggs may have left his career as a police officer, but he still has the instinct to protect–especially for Lahela.

I really loved this romantic mystery. I loved Olivia and Clark. I enjoyed seeing Olivia grow as a person as she learns some truths about herself. I loved how Clark takes steps forward in his life also. I received a copy of the book from the publisher for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

I give this book a five out of five stars.

PUBLISHER DESCRIPTION

A mysterious pull toward Nova Scotia lures a reluctant school teacher to embark on a Canadian cruise and sail into deception, tragedy, and love. 

Her mother’s death and her father’s indifference led Olivia Carr to shelter herself behind walls of isolation.
When the school term ends, she resigns herself to weeks of lonely boredom, until her estranged father asks her to spend the summer on his estate near Boston. Her hope that their relationship could be healed is soon crushed, and Olivia flees her father’s house and reluctantly joins fellow teachers on a maritime Canada cruise.
The voyage stirs up latent memories. What mystery draws her to the lighthouse at Pawleys Cove, Nova Scotia?
Fellow teacher Clark Rafferty–because of his Christian faith–struggles against his attraction to Olivia. When she unexpectedly joins the cruise and becomes involved in a shipboard romance with a man Clark doesn’t trust, his resolve to avoid her must yield to his need to protect her.
Meanwhile, in the shadow of the Pawleys Cove lighthouse, an old man, still haunted by tragedy, prays for the little girl he remembers.

I loved this wonderfully sweet romance. I loved Natalie and Thad. I enjoyed how Gigi helps to push Natalie and Thad into spending more time together. I laughed and cried as Natalie and Thad get to know and help each other. I received a copy of the book from the publisher for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

I give this book a five out of five stars.

PUBLISHER DESCRIPTION

’Tis the season for a fresh start… and a second chance at love. After a stressful season, event planner Natalie Cooper has strict instructions from her doctor: rest. But when her grandmother volunteers her to plan her retirement community’s Christmas fundraiser, she can’t say no. Now she’s being roped into working alongside the home’s director, Thad MacDougall. The grumpy single father’s priority is his relationship with his son, and Natalie’s workaholic tendencies have them butting heads over every detail. But through hot cocoa and ice fishing with Thad and his son, Natalie’s about to discover that her chaos-filled holiday break might be just what the doctor ordered…From Love Inspired: Uplifting stories of faith, forgiveness and hope.Heartland Sweethearts Book 1: His Sweet SurpriseBook 2: Her Chance at FamilyBook 3: The Unplanned Christmas Family

I loved this story of two women that are friends for years and decide to go on a safari together at a time when their lives are changing. I loved that these women help each other to face some troubles they are having in their lives. I enjoyed seeing an African safari through these women’s eyes. I loved all the descriptions of this wild land. I laughed and cried as I learned what Fern and Lily were going through. I received a copy of the book from the publisher for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

I give this book a five out of five stars.

PUBLISHER DESCRIPTION

Ever since they met as teenagers volunteering at a conference center in Costa Rica 20 years ago, Fern Espinoza and Lily Graden have shared a close friendship, even though they live in different states. They can hardly believe it when their teen dream of traveling to Africa together becomes a reality. It’s the trip of a lifetime–but life sure isn’t what they thought it would be back when they were young.

Along with their suitcases, each woman brings along emotional baggage that weighs heavily on them. Yet the people they meet and the places they experience have the power to change their hearts–but only if they surrender to the lessons God wants to teach them in this unexpected land of emerald tea fields, graceful giraffes, and rambunctious elephants. 

Pack your bags and get ready for adventure as Robin Jones Gunn invites you on a safari of the heart in this vulnerable exploration of how to move forward in faith even when the future is uncertain.

I loved this wonderful Amish story with two storylines. I loved the romance that finally starts between Bethanne and Jay even though they have problems they need to work out. I also loved the romance that blossoms between Candace and Ryan as they try to find her stalker. I enjoyed the romance and the suspense in the story. I received a copy of the book from the publisher for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

I give this book a five out of five stars.

PUBLISHER DESCRIPTION

Even though Bethanne Hostetler has found some peace seven years after an attempted assault and the accidental death of Peter Miller, she is still haunted by the memory. When her Englisher cousin, Candace–who has just been crowned Miss Crittenden County–reveals that she has a stalker, all of Bethanne’s old fears come rushing back.

Jay Byler had once been Peter’s best friend, and the fact that he did not protect Bethanne that fateful night has haunted him ever since. To make matters worse, she continues to avoid him–even as he continues to love her. Jay can only hope and pray that one day Bethanne will see the person he is today and not the boy he used to be. 

As Candace’s stalker becomes bolder, Officer Ryan Mulany becomes her escort to various events. He knows he should only think of Candace as a job, but the more time they spend together, the harder it gets to maintain professional distance. And when everyone’s worst fears are realized, all four must work together to prevent another tragedy before time runs out and another innocent person is hurt. 

From New York Times bestselling author Shelley Shepard Gray comes this emotionally taut story of learning to forgive, trust, and love despite the pain of the past.

I enjoyed this tale of a girl that learns of a love for horses and soon becomes a bronc rider. I laughed and I cried as this girl becomes a woman and tries to balance her married life with a career. I liked Sunny and Francine and Tad. I enjoyed the ups and downs of her life. I received a copy of this book from the publisher for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

I give this book a four out of five stars.

Book Description:

It’s 1895 and fourteen year old Hannah Brandt is struggling with the hard life on a new Nebraska homestead. When her imagination is captured by a wild filly she becomes obsessed with horses, which opens the door to her destiny. Just four years later she enters the first Cheyenne Frontier Day rodeo where she wins the relay race and her fate is sealed. She gives herself a new name, Sunny Gale, and pursues a rodeo career, much to the disgust of her young husband and her very proper mother. Sunny defies convention with every move as the drive to compete takes over her life, leaving everything else behind, including husbands and children. It is a rough life she has chosen, but she craves the glory of the spotlight and refuses to bow to the expectations for a woman in her time.

​Award winning author Jamie Lisa Forbes has once again brought us complex characters in a story based on real women and the early days when rodeo was wide open for them to become stars. It is a story of the social mores of the times and of a woman determined to defy them no matter how high the personal cost or where that choice might take her.

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Go to this link to see the interview with the author: https://youtu.be/emtCVQFCRKE

Meet the Author:

Jamie Lisa Forbes was raised on a ranch in the Little Laramie Valley near Laramie, Wyoming. She attended the University of Colorado where she obtained degrees in English and philosophy. After fourteen months living in Israel, she returned to her family’s ranch where she lived for another fifteen years.

In 1994, she moved to Greensboro, North Carolina. In 2001, she graduated from the University of North Carolina School of Law and began her North Carolina law practice.

Forbes’ first novel, Unbroken, won the WILLA Literary Award for Contemporary Fiction in 2011. Her collection of short stories, The Widow Smalls and Other Stories, won the High Plains Book Awards for a short story collection in 2015.

Forbes’ novel of rural North Carolina in the segregation era, entitled Eden, was published in 2020. Her historical novel about women bronc riders in the early days of rodeo, entitled Sunny Gale, was published in May 2024 by Pronghorn Press.

Ms. Forbes continues to live—and write—in North Carolina

Connect with the author:   website  ~ facebook ~ pinterest~ X ~  goodreads 

I loved this romantic suspense novel that kept me guessing the whole way. I loved Zoe and Chase and how they get to know each other as he keeps Zoe and her child safe. I love the romance and all of the great action. I received a copy of the book from the publisher for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

I give this book a five out of five stars.

PUBLISHER DESCRIPTION

A bomber with a deadly agenda…

and a K-9 team determined to catch him.

When single mother Zoe Jenkins and her baby are caught in an explosion that destroys her home, she’s saved by FBI special agent Chase Rawlston and his K-9, Dash. But who set the bomb? Fearing that the notorious Rocky Mountain Killer he’s been investigating has the mother and daughter in his sights, Chase takes them under his protection. But can he uncover the killer’s identity before more innocent lives are caught in the crossfire?

From Love Inspired Suspense: Courage. Danger. Faith.

Mountain Country K-9 Unit

Book 1: Baby Protection Mission by Laura Scott
Book 2: Her Duty Bound Defender by Sharee Stover
Book 3: Chasing Justice by Valerie Hansen
Book 4: Crime Scene Secrets by Maggie K. Black
Book 5: Montana Abduction Rescue by Jodie Bailey
Book 6: Trail of Threats by Jessica R. Patch
Book 7: Tracing a Killer by Sharon Dunn
Book 8: Search and Detect by Terri Reed

I loved getting to know Ruby and Cordelia in this funny, paranormal cozy mystery. I enjoyed how these two characters solve this mystery. I could not put this book down. I received a copy of this book from the publisher for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

I give this book a five out of five stars.

PUBLISHER DESCRIPTION

Death is only the beginning in Olivia Blacke’s A New Lease on Death, a darkly funny supernatural mystery that introduces an unlikely crime-solving duo.

Ruby Young’s new Boston apartment comes with all the usual perks. Windows facing the brick wall of the next-door building. Heat that barely works. A malfunctioning buzzer. Noisy neighbors. A dead body on the sidewalk outside. And of course, a ghost.

Since Cordelia Graves died in her apartment a few months ago, she’s kept up her residency, despite being bored out of her (non-tangible) skull and frustrated by her new roommate. When her across-the-hall neighbor, Jake Macintyre, is shot and killed in an apparent mugging gone wrong outside their building, Cordelia is convinced there’s more to it and is determined to bring his killer to justice.

Unfortunately, Cordelia, being dead herself, can’t solve the mystery alone. She has to enlist the help of the obnoxiously perky, living tenant of her apartment. Ruby is twenty, annoying, and has never met a houseplant she couldn’t kill. But she also can do everything Cordelia can’t, from interviewing suspects to researching Jake on the library computers that go up in a puff of smoke if Cordelia gets too close. As the roommates form an unlikely friendship and get closer to the truth about Jake’s death, they also start to uncover other dangerous secrets.