Monday, October 8, 2018

Review: Sins of the Past by Dee Henderson, Dani Pettrey, Lynette Eason


Heidi Reads... Sins of the Past by Dee Henderson, Dani Pettrey, Lynette Eason

My rating: 4 stars / I really liked it

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Synopsis

Three Novellas from Bestselling Authors
 

In Dee Henderson's "Missing," a Wyoming sheriff is called to Chicago when his elderly mother goes missing. Paired with a savvy Chicago cop, the two realize her disappearance is no accident, and a race against the clock begins.
 

Dani Pettrey returns to Alaska with "Shadowed," introducing readers to the parents of her beloved McKenna clan. Adventure, romance, and danger collide when a young fisherman nets the body of an open-water swimming competitor who may actually be a possible Russian defector.
 

Lynette Eason's "Blackout" delivers the story of a woman once implicated in a robbery gone wrong. The loot has never been found--but her memory of that night has always been unreliable. Can she remember enough to find her way to safety when the true culprit comes after her?

My Review

All of these stories are fast-paced and full of suspense as the mysteries are worked out and solved. I liked the first story and the way it showed the methodical work of the police and detectives, leaving no stone unturned but having to prioritize certain leads before others. Sharon, the lead missing persons detective had a great rapport with John, the sheriff whose mother has gone missing, and I liked the friendship that developed there. The romance angle was kind of out of the blue because they are both so pragmatic and the focus was so much on the case, but friendship is always a good place to start ;)

I was so excited to read the second story since I'm a fan of the author's Alaskan Courage series. It was cool to get to know Ben and Libby and see how they met as young adults. It is set during the Cold War, and the politics with the Russians and espionage made for high tension as the murder is investigated. I would have liked more on the relationship and romance, but it was still a great story and had a full plot.

The last story Blackout had one of my favorite suspense tropes- amnesia of the victim. For me it automatically ramps up the anticipation and anxiety while the holes are being filled and not knowing where or when the danger will strike. A great conclusion to the collection.

(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)



Don't miss the next collection by these three suspense authors . . .

Heidi Reads... The Cost of Betrayal by Dee Henderson, Dani Pettrey, Lynette Eason


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Synopsis

In Dee Henderson's novella "Betrayal," Janelle Roberts is freed--thanks to people she doesn't know--after serving six years of a twenty-year sentence for a murder she did not commit. But a murderer is still at large, and Janelle needs to be somewhere safe with someone she can trust. She may not survive another betrayal.

In Dani Pettrey's "Deadly Isle," Tennyson Kent is trapped on the isolated island of her childhood by a storm surge, and she is shocked when the typically idyllic community turns into the hunting grounds of a murderer. Cut off from any help from the mainland, will she and first love Callen Frost be able to identify and stop a killer bent on betrayal before they become the next victims?

In Lynette Eason's "Code of Ethics," trauma surgeon Ruthie St. John saves the life of Detective Isaac Martinez. After a betrayal leads to him getting shot and then attacked while in recovery, Isaac is now a key witness determined to testify. But someone is intent on silencing him--and those around him--forever. Together, Ruthie and Isaac go on the run, desperate to escape the killers hunting him.


Review: Storm Front by Susan May Warren


Book Five in the Montana Rescue series
Heidi Reads... Storm Front by Susan May Warren

My rating: 4 stars / I really liked it

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Synopsis

A tornado has destroyed a small Minnesota community and among the missing are not only a group of students but PEAK Rescue team leader Chet King. Ty Remington will stop at nothing to rescue his mentor, not even when the girl he loved--and lost--walks back into his life. But Brette needs his help more than he knows, despite her stubborn determination to push him away. And when he gets a second chance, loving her just might cost him more than he can imagine.

A blogger for Vortex Storm Chasers, Brette Arnold didn't expect her adventures to land her in the same place as Ty, the guy who she walked--no, ran--from over a year ago. She had her reasons--good ones. The kind that tell her that falling for him again would only lead to heartache. But Ty isn't the kind of man to give up--not on the missing students, or on her.

Life and love hang in the balance in Susan May Warren's breathless story of holding on to hope during a deadly summer of storms.

My Review

I love this series, but Storm Front began a little slow for me. It picked up the brief relationship between Ty and Brette from two books ago (A Matter of Trust), and there wasn't a strong foundation there to begin with. The first part of the book is definitely plot-centered, but it also begins to show the inner struggles of Ty and Brette that they have faced during their time apart, and are still struggling with. A secondary story line is the faltering relationship of Ben and Kacey from the first book, Wild Montana Skies, and their angst over Ben's career keeping them apart. As much as I enjoyed the mountain setting of the first three books, the storm-filled plains of Minnesota was a nice change of pace while still maintaining that small-town feeling of community.

The pace of the book picked up as the emergencies hit, bringing Ty and the rescue team to intersect with Brette and her tornado-chasing team, and they work together to search for missing townspeople. It was fascinating to see the mystery unravel as the team pulled together resources and information to solve where the missing were when the tornado hit, and follow Ty's "hunches" to where they would take cover and end up. Emotions ran high at times and as Brette and Ty open up to each other, their friendship is reestablished and they are able to provide reassurance, encouragement, and support. By the end of the book I was fully invested in the story and was happy to see how everything worked out.

(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)




Don't miss the other books in the Montana Rescue series . . .

Book One
Heidi Reads... Wild Montana Skies by Susan May Warren


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Synopsis

Search and rescue pilot Kacey Fairing is home on leave in Mercy Falls, Montana, twelve years after she joined the military to escape the mistakes of her past. With a job waiting for her as the new lead pilot of Peak Rescue in Glacier National Park, Kacey hopes to reconnect with the now-teenage daughter she sees only between deployments. What she doesn't realize is that someone else is also back in town.
 
Ben King has been building his country music career since the day Kacey shut him out of her life. Now all of that's on hold when his injured father calls him home to help run Peak Rescue until he's fully recovered. It doesn't take long, though, to discover his father's ulterior motives as Kacey Fairing walks into the house and back into his heart.
 
With Mercy Falls in a state of emergency due to flash floods, Kacey and Ben are forced to work together to save lives. But when floodwaters turn personal, can they put aside the past to save their future?

Book Two
Heidi Reads... Rescue Me by Susan May Warren


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Synopsis

When Deputy Sam Brooks commits to something, nothing can sway him--not just on the job as liaison between the Mercy Falls sheriff's department and PEAK Rescue, but in his private life. He's the one who stuck around to take care of his mother after his father's accidental death. And he's the one--perhaps the only one--who believes Sierra Rose is the perfect girl for him. Safe, practical, and organized, she's nothing like her hippie, impulsive, bleeding heart sister, Willow.

Willow, however, has been in love with Sam Brooks for as long as she can remember. But she wants her sister to have a happy ending. Besides, Willow has other things to focus on--namely, nabbing the job as youth pastor for her small-town church. Best thing for her to do is to purge Sam from her heart.

Neither can predict the events that will bring them together in a fight for their lives in the forbidding wilderness of Glacier National Park. Stranded, injured, and with the winter weather closing in, Sam and Willow will have to work together to save a crew of terrified teenagers. As they fight to survive, they might just discover a new hope for love.

Book Three
Heidi Reads... A Matter of Trust by Susan May Warren


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Synopsis

Champion backcountry snowboarder Gage Watson has left the limelight behind after the death of one of his fans. After being sued for negligence and stripped of his sponsorships, he's remade his life as a ski patrol in Montana's rugged mountains, as well as serving on the PEAK Rescue team. But he can't seem to find his footing--or forget the woman he loved, who betrayed him.

Senator and former attorney Ella Blair spends much of her time in the limelight as the second-youngest senator in the country. But she has a secret--one that cost Gage his career. More than anything, she wants to atone for her betrayal of him in the courtroom and find a way to help him put his career back on track.

When Ella's brother goes missing on one of Glacier National Park's most dangerous peaks, Gage and his team are called in for the rescue. But Gage isn't so sure he wants to help the woman who destroyed his life. More, when she insists on joining the search, he'll have to keep her safe while finding her reckless brother, a recipe for disaster when a snowstorm hits the mountain.

But old sparks relight as they search for the missing snowboarder--and suddenly, they are faced with emotions neither can deny. But when Ella's secret is revealed, can they learn to trust each other--even when disaster happens again?


Book Four
Heidi Reads... Troubled Waters by Susan May Warren


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Synopsis

Billionaire Ian Shaw can have everything he wants--except a happy ending. Or at least that's what it feels like with his fortune recently liquidated, his niece, Esme, still missing, and the woman he loves refusing to speak to him. In fact, he doubts she would date him even if they were stranded on a deserted island.

Despite her love for Ian, Sierra Rose knows he has no room in his life for her as long as the mystery of his missing niece goes unsolved. The only problem is, Sierra has solved it, but a promise to Esme to keep her whereabouts secret has made it impossible to be around Ian.

When the PEAK chopper is damaged and Sierra lacks the funds to repair it, Ian offers a fundraising junket for large donors on his yacht in the Caribbean. But the three-day excursion turns into a nightmare when a rogue wave cripples the yacht and sends the passengers overboard. Shaken up and soaked to the bone, Ian finally has a chance to test his theory when he and Sierra do indeed find themselves washed up on a strange, empty shore.

It will take guts and gumption for the PEAK team to rescue the duo. But it will take a miracle to rescue Ian and Sierra's relationship.


 Book Six

Releases November 6, 2018

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Synopsis

Pete Brooks can't believe he's waited an entire year for Jess Tagg to return to Montana, only to have her break his heart by getting engaged to her ex-fiancé. Worse, a series of mistakes on the job have cost lives, and Pete isn't sure he wants to continue to work in Search and Rescue. Maybe if he can just get over Jess, he can figure out how to move forward.

EMT Jess Tagg has returned to Montana to finally give her heart to Pete, but it seems he's no longer interested. When a terrible fight between them sparks an impulsive decision, she finds herself crashed on the side of a highway along with Esme Shaw. And just when she thinks things couldn't get any worse, she and Esme are taken captive and into the untamed Montana wilderness—with murderous intent.

Now Pete and the other PEAK Rescue Team members are in a race against time, the elements, and the actions of a vengeful man. Pete will have to use everything he's learned to find Jess and Esme—and pray that his past mistakes don't cost him the life of the woman he can't stop loving.


Release Blitz & Giveaway: Our Christmas Promise by Tara Randel

On Tour with Prism Book Tours

 Release Blitz for
Our Christmas Promise
By Tara Randel

https://amzn.to/2zYE3e7Our Christmas Promise:
A Christmas Wedding Story
(12 Days of Heartwarming Christmas)
By Tara Randel
Contemporary Romance, Holiday, Novella
ebook, 129 Pages
October 9, 2018

Melissa Upton and Justin Caswell have been best friends since they were kids. Now, they’re all grown up and things have changed, for Melissa at least. She’s content running the family bridal shop, Candlelight and Lace. Excited about an upcoming wedding. She doesn’t even mind attending weddings with Justin, until he dubs them wedding buddies. And now that he’s back in Christmas Town, Melissa realizes she wants more. If she goes after her heart will she lose her best friend?

Justin is back home to take care of business for his estranged father while he recovers from a heart attack. He’s launched his own successful career, is happy with his single status. Until he feels the distance Melissa has put between them. What’s up with his best friend? The more time they spend together, involved in Christmas Town holiday preparations, the more he realizes she’s hoping for more in their relationship. Can Justin see that being in love, and remaining best friends, is the best of both worlds?


Excerpt

Jaycee tossed a paper towel in the trash and met Melissa’s gaze in the mirror over the sink.
“When are you going to tell him?”
“Tell who what?” Melissa asked as she dug in her bag for lip balm.
“Tell Justin you have feelings for him.”
Melissa froze. Blinked a few times and glanced at Jaycee. “What are you talking about?”
Jaycee rested her hip against the counter and crossed her arms over her chest. “Don’t play dumb with me. I see how you look at him, especially when he doesn’t know it.”
“He’s my friend and I’m glad he’s home.”
“Really? That’s it?”
Melissa shrugged and resumed her searching. “What more could there be?”
“You tell me.”
“There’s nothing to tell.”
“Then why don’t you date?”
Melissa gripped the tube of balm in her fingers. “I date.”
“Name the last time you went out with a guy.”
She racked her brain but came up empty. “College, maybe?”
“That was six years ago.”
“No...it can’t be that long.”
Jaycee arched a brow.
“Wait. I went out with Roger Pierce for a while.”
“Until he moved away.” Jaycee shook her head. “I’m telling you, you have it bad for Justin.”
Did she? Did that explain the tingles she’d been trying to ignore? Or had she been without a significant other for too long now?
Slowly spreading the balm across her lips, Melissa met her own gaze in the mirror. Clear brown eyes peered back, but a rosy red had crept into her cheeks. She recognized the look, had seen it on dozens of bride’s faces through the years. 
Good grief, was she in love with Justin?
“Do you care for him as more than just a friend?” Jaycee asked when Melissa had been quiet too long.
“Of course not.”
Despite her words, Melissa flashed back to that Christmas Eve many years ago when they’d promised to be friends forever. How they’d carried through on the vow, remaining friends through high school and stayed in touch when he left Christmas Town for college. She understood why he didn’t return, so she’d made sure to visit him in Boston. Once their friends had started to marry, meeting up at weddings had become their thing. But was that good enough for her now?
Tossing the tube back in her purse with more pressure than she intended, Melissa closed the bag. Pushed her unsettling thoughts away. “You’re imagining things.”
With a shrug, Jaycee pushed from the counter. “If you say so.”
“I say so,” she said, yanking the door open to return to the raucous, overcrowded pub.

About the Author


USA Today Bestselling Author Tara Randel has enjoyed a lifelong love of books, especially romance and mystery genres, so it didn't come as a surprise when she began writing with the dream of becoming published. Family values, mystery and, of course, love and romance are her favorite themes, because she believes love is the greatest gift of all. Tara lives on the West Coast of Florida, where gorgeous sunsets inspire the creation of heartwarming stories, filled with love, laughter and the occasional mystery.


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Friday, October 5, 2018

$100 Giveaway from Clean Wholesome Romance!

 

$100 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Giveaway 

from Clean Wholesome Romance!


Just think how many books you could buy with $100! Or maybe you need a new Kindle! Or maybe you want to try Kindle Unlimited! Or maybe you want to buy a gift for someone! Or maybe you just need an extra $100! Just look at this list of Sponsoring Authors. There is a great combination of longtime favorites mixed with new found friends. We are giving away another $100 thanks to these incredibly generous authors! Each of these authors writes clean wholesome romance.


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One winner will be awarded $100 in Paypal Cash or a $100 Amazon Gift Code! Winning entry will be verified! Make sure you actually subscribe and confirm your entries so you don’t get disqualified. If you already subscribe to an author’s newsletter you can, of course, claim the entry! Ends 11/9/18
Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner may be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter, Amazon, Paypal or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. The giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader/Clean Wholesome Romance and sponsored by the participating authors. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
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#FallIntoBooks #FavoriteAuthors



This is a dangerous question to ask a bookworm... ;)

I'm listing my must-read, auto-buy authors that I trust for consistently delivering books that I find amazing and satisfying. I highly recommend books by all of the following authors!

Rachael Anderson

Lori Benton

Sian Ann Bessey

Joanne Bischof

  
Mary Connealy

Dawn Crandall

Julie Daines

Taylor Dean

Nicole Deese

 Julianne Donaldson

Sarah M. Eden

Suzanne Woods Fisher

Laura Frantz
 
Kathleen Fuller

Donna Hatch
  
Jody Hedlund

Stacy Henrie

Pam Hillman
 
Michele Paige Holmes

Denise Hunter

Regina Jennings
 
Krista Lynne Jensen

Liz Johnson
 
Carla Kelly

Ronie Kendig

Josi S. Kilpack

Julie Klassen

Sarah E. Ladd

Carla Laureano

Annette Lyon 
 
Amy Matayo

Kristen McKendry
 
 Heather B. Moore

H. B. Moore

Jennifer Moore

Jennifer Peel 

Amber Lynn Perry
 
Dani Pettrey

Sheralyn Pratt
 
Katherine Reay

Regina Scott

Nichole Van

Becky Wade

Courtney Walsh

Susan May Warren

Karen Witemeyer


Thursday, October 4, 2018

#FallIntoBooks #ChildhoodFavorite



I absolutely loved The Little House on the Prairie books by Laura Ingalls Wilder, and read them several times throughout my childhood and teen years. These Happy Golden Years was probably my first sweet romance ;) I credit these books for my love of pioneer stories and westerns. I'm planning to borrow the audiobooks from our library to listen to with my five year old at bedtime.