Home to Honeymoon Harbor - JoAnn Ross (HQN - Apr 2018)

Series: Honeymoon Harbor (Book .5)

The rivalry between the Mannion and Harper families has divided them for over a century. Which is why, when John Mannion and Sarah Harper fall in love, they become the small seaport town’s very own Romeo and Juliet. But in Honeymoon Harbor, nothing—not even an infamous family feud—is a match for love.

Short and sweet introduction to the new series. John and Sarah were high school and college sweethearts - secretly. How they managed to keep their secret in such a small town was nothing less than a miracle. But as close as they were, and in spite of the plans they made, the proposal that Sarah anticipated didn't happen. Instead, John took off for two years in Nepal, leaving Sarah behind and brokenhearted. She continued on with her life, including a stint teaching English lit in Japan.

Then fate stepped in and had both of them arriving back in the US at the same time. To say that they were stunned to see each other would be putting it mildly. Sarah is still angry at John and makes no secret of it. John has accepted the mistakes he made and wants another chance.

Though the story takes place over just a couple days, there is a lot of emotion packed into it. I liked both John and Sarah. Each of them had undergone some significant changes while they were apart. Sarah is a woman who has spent her life putting others before herself. She loves her parents and tries to live up to their expectations. But she has also come to realize that something is missing in her life. Through most of the story we are teased by her ruminations on the dilemma she faces, but aren't let in on what that dilemma is until the very end. John is a good man at heart. He hadn't meant to hurt Sarah, but his insecurities got in the way. I loved his stories about his time in Nepal and the huge impact it had on his life.

I loved the rekindling of their relationship. John is determined to win Sarah back and pursues that goal with single-minded dedication. Sarah is wary, but can't deny that she still has feelings for him. I loved the way that they were mature enough to talk about what had happened in the past and actually listen to what the other had to say. It was sweet to hear John talk about reading Jane Austen because of what the books meant to Sarah, and I enjoyed his thoughtful commentary on them. I especially liked how he related them to Sarah and that it showed how well he knew her. I also enjoyed Sarah's realization that John was a lot more complex than she expected. I loved seeing them open up to each other about their doubts and fears from the past, and trust each other with their plans for the future. I enjoyed their realization that they are still meant to be together. The ending was sweet and romantic, and perfect for the two of them. I'm looking forward to seeing them again later in the series.

Major Crimes - Janie Crouch (HI #1794 - July 2018)

Series: Omega Sector: Under Seige (Book 4)
            Omega Sector (Book 14)

Working together would bring down a killer

But her secrets could tear them apart…

Hayley Green never wanted to see Omega special agent Cain Bennett again. Ever. He seduced her, then sent her to prison for hacking, and Hayley’s only just started piecing her life back together. Except now Cain needs Hayley’s help to catch a murderer. Their past is colliding with their still-smoldering attraction…and the only thing more dangerous than the killer is the secrets Hayley’s been keeping.

Another fantastic entry into this series. The stories keep getting better. As discovered in previous books, Omega has a traitor in its midst, someone who is helping psychopath Damien Freihof threaten and kill agents and their loved ones. Cain Bennett has been called in from another branch to track down and stop the mole. It doesn't take long for Cain to realize that the mole's hacking skills are extensive and he needs help. But with their history, he doesn't know if Hayley will be willing. Hayley and Cain had been high school sweethearts who drifted apart after graduation. After college, Cain joined Omega. Four years ago he requested her help with another hacking case, not knowing she was involved. By the time he found out, they had rekindled their relationship. Though it gutted him to do so, he was the one who arrested her.

After four years, Hayley is out of prison and on parole, trying to put her life back together. She still harbors great resentment toward Cain, not for arresting her, because she knew she was guilty, but for sleeping with her to get close. She isn't happy to see Cain, but she has her reasons for taking him up on his offer. She just needs to stick to the job and keep him from discovering things she doesn't want him to know.

I liked both Cain and Hayley. Cain is an honorable, by-the-book guy, but he also has a heart. He knows he has made mistakes, but his feelings for her haven't changed. The problem he has is that his heart and his head are in direct conflict. His head tells him that trusting Hayley around a computer is a bad idea, but his heart believes in her. Hayley is a survivor. She made it through her time in prison and now deals with the consequences. I ached for what she was putting up with from her employer just because she had no other options. She also has some secrets that she's keeping from Cain because she isn't sure that she can trust him.

I loved the development of their relationship. Hayley doesn't hold back when she tells Cain exactly what she thinks of him. Neither does Cain when he explains what happened. Underneath it all is the attraction that still burns between them, and a connection that neither can deny. Working together to track down the mole at Omega, some of the walls between them begin to crumble, but others still stand strong. I wanted to shake Cain for his persistent suspicions, and Hayley for keeping him in the dark about some things. I liked the way that Cain's protectiveness came out when trouble hit, and that he was able to believe her when she explained why. I was worried about that trust at the end, but Cain came through in a huge way, proving by his actions that the past was in the past. I also loved the ending scene with the judge.

The suspense of the story was fantastic and kept me hooked until the end. The leaders at Omega are racing to find out who the traitor is before he strikes again. The suspects that Cain's investigation comes up with are disturbing, to say the least. Two are believable to me, and a third is a "no way." Even more disturbing is the information that Hayley found about the mole's intentions. I can't wait to see what comes next.

Then there is the trouble that Hayley is in that really keeps them hopping. It quickly becomes clear that whatever Hayley had stumbled upon before her arrest is bigger and further-reaching than she had realized at the time. The attacks on her escalate as she gets closer to finding out who and what. Someone with a lot of power is pulling strings. There were many twists and turns as Hayley and Cain followed their leads and heart-pounding action as they escaped life-threatening situations. The final confrontation was intense with a fantastic resolution. The identity of the culprits was pretty ironic, all things considered. 

Cease Fire - Janie Crouch (HI #1790 - June 2018)

Series: Omega Sector: Under Siege (Book 3)
            Omega Sector (Book 13)

One perfect weekend changed his life

And now he’d die to protect his unborn child…

Two months ago, Roman Weber and Keira Spencer spent a breathless weekend together. But her sordid past and his privileged upbringing conspired against any happily-ever-after. When Keira is targeted by a killer, Omega Sector assigns Roman to safeguard her -- and possibly win her back. Then Keira reveals she’s pregnant, and Roman knows the killer must be stopped…if they ever hope to become a family.

Excellent continuation of the series. This book opens with both Roman and Keira at the wedding of their friends Andrea and Brandon (Man of Action). They are immediately drawn to each other, spend an incredible weekend together, and start an intense relationship. Outside interference brings an end to it, but neither one can forget what they had together.

I liked both Roman and Keira. Having recently survived life-threatening injuries, Roman has made some changes in his life. He's no longer the light-hearted fun guy, all too aware of how short life can be. He is also from a wealthy and connected family, with a mother who has plans for his future, ones that he doesn't necessarily agree with. I loved his desire to do something good with his life, and that he is determined to choose his own path. Keira is an incredibly strong woman. Alone after the deaths of her parents, her desire for love and family led her into an early marriage. When that marriage turned brutally abusive, she escaped and went on with her life. I loved how she took what happened to her and used it to help other people.

I loved the development of Roman and Keira's relationship. When he discovers that Keira may be the next target of Damien Freihof, he is determined to keep her safe. Keira is equally determined to keep him out of her life, not wanting to get her heart stomped on again. Roman knows he was a jerk and is determined to win her back - even more so when she reveals that she's pregnant. I loved that Roman was immediately on board with becoming a father. Though stunned at the news, it makes him happy. His protectiveness also extended past keeping her out of danger to wanting to do anything to make her life easier. I liked how anything that was important to her was also important to him, including the ladies at the shelter. After having failed so miserably at standing up to his mother the first time around, he did much better the next time she appeared unexpectedly, especially considering who she brought with her. I ached for Keira, because she had to deal with the bad memories that were resurrected, but cheered at the way she stood up for herself. Those memories still have enough of a hold on her that she resists the idea of anything permanent with Roman. He won major points with me for his patience and willingness to go with whatever she was comfortable with. I loved his big moment at the end - it was so sweet and romantic.

The suspense in this one was another page-turner. Once again, Freihof uses the people they care for against the members of Omega. Some things jumped right out at me as having his fingerprints all over them, and others had me wondering. The snowstorm incident had me worried because I didn't know how far it would go. The escalating events at the salon/shelter had everyone's nerves on edge. There were several twists and turns that added to the confusion of who was behind each attack. I loved the methods used by Omega to get information from one of the suspects. The final confrontation of the book was one that was intense and frightening in what evil someone is capable of. Things looked very bad until Roman got some help from a very unexpected source. The team has also received undeniable proof that there is a traitor in their midst, but they don't yet know who it is. I have a suspicion but will have to wait to see if I'm right.

Protector's Instinct - Janie Crouch (HI #1752 - Dec 2017)

Series: Omega Sector: Under Siege (Book 2)
            Omega Sector (Book 12)

He knows he failed her once before. This time he’s determined to protect her by any means necessary…

Former police detective Zane Wales won’t let history repeat itself. He couldn’t save the woman he loved from a brutal assault, so he left the force -- and Caroline Gill’s life. But now a psychopath has her in his vengeful sights. And the only way Zane can keep the strong-willed paramedic safe is to stay close 24/7 -- even as their reignited desire burns out of control.

Caroline can finally face down her past by helping Zane catch this perp. And she’ll give Zane all the passionate healing he needs to show they have a future together. But a danger they never saw coming will turn their second chance into a lethal, inescapable trap…

Excellent second chance story combined with riveting suspense. Eighteen months earlier Zane and Caroline had had a passionate and volatile relationship. Zane was a police detective, and Caroline was an EMT. Then Caroline was brutally assaulted, and in a fit of guilt, because he hadn't been there to prevent it, Zane quit the police force and his relationship with Caroline. Now she's in danger again and he'll do whatever he must not to fail her.

Caroline has worked hard to overcome the effects of her assault. She's back on the job and has taken steps to prevent becoming a victim again. Though she wants to think she has put Zane behind her also, seeing him again proves that her feelings for him are just as strong as they ever were. But, what happened that night has changed both of them.

I liked both Zane and Caroline from their first appearance in Fully Committed. Caroline is a lot stronger than she thinks she is. I loved the reality of seeing the ongoing effects of the assault, such as the fear of a knock on the door, or being reluctant to go home to an empty house. But she's also determined that it won't completely derail her life. I loved seeing her back doing the work she loved. I also understood her frustration with the way people still treated her with kid gloves when she wanted them to stop seeing her as a victim. Zane is a man who is haunted by what he sees as his failure. I ached for him as he gave up the work he loved because he'd lost confidence in his ability to do it. However, his innate protectiveness can't be denied, especially when it comes to Caroline. At the first hint of danger, he's right there with her.

I loved the rekindling of their relationship. Zane's determination to keep her safe makes him come on a little strong at first, which makes Caroline dig in her heels about the trip she has planned. Not to be dissuaded, Zane horns in on her camping trip. In addition to the protection, it gives Caroline a chance to confront Zane about what had happened after her attack. I loved her honesty as she explained to him exactly what she needed from him. I ached for Zane, who had allowed his guilty feelings to drive him away from Caroline. I loved that he understood her feelings when she explained them. It wasn't easy for him to let go of the guilt and give his feelings free rein. I loved seeing them grow closer as they fought the danger they were in. The passion is still there but without the volatility thanks to the maturing of the characters and the relationship. I loved the ending, especially the gift that Caroline had for Zane.

The suspense was fantastic. As was shown in the first book (Daddy Defender), the villain in this series has a very convoluted and devious mind. We know from the start that he has it in for Zane and Caroline, but you never know exactly how he will carry out his plans. The attack on the trail and subsequent sabotage of Zane's plane had me glued to the pages as they raced to stay ahead of their attacker. The attacks continued after they got home, increasing in intensity. I was on the edge of my seat through several twists and turns, as just when I thought they were safe, something else would happen. The final confrontations were amazing in their proof of the bad guy's twisted and manipulative ways.

Daddy Defender - Janie Crouch (HI #1745 - Nov 2017)

Series: Omega Sector: Under Siege (Book 1)
            Omega Sector (Book 11)

He was a man on a mission, one that included a beautiful woman and a little girl he'd die defending…

What a serious case of mistaken identity. Ashton Fitzgerald is no unassuming handyman but a highly trained sharpshooter intent on protecting Summer Worrall and her baby daughter. The Omega SWAT member has a debt to pay and he isn't about to let Summer out of his sights.

For someone else has set their own sights on the lovely widow. Her unexpected relationship with Ashton has put Summer and her child straight into a madman's line of fire. Suddenly a mission to make amends becomes Ashton's quest to defend this little family with his very life.

Good mix of suspense and romance. Two years earlier, Summer's husband Tyler, a member of the Omega team, was killed during a hostage crisis. Since then, Summer has been raising her daughter and moving on with her life as best she can. She rents her apartment from the head of the team and calls on the attractive but shy maintenance man when she needs help.

Except the maintenance man isn't who he appears to be. In an amusing case of mistaken identity, Ashton had taken care of the first repair himself, after his coworker asked him to find someone to do the repair. Now Ashton is firmly planted in Summer's mind as that, and he hasn't been able to find a way to tell her the truth. He's fallen hard for Summer and doesn't want to lose those chances to see her. His coworkers at Omega know how he feels and tease him constantly. They also tell him he'd better tell her the truth soon before she finds out on her own.

I loved the relationship between Summer and Ashton. He is adorably tongue-tied around her, not shy, but afraid of saying the wrong thing and giving himself away. Ashton is haunted by what he sees as his fault in the circumstances of Tyler's death and doesn't know how to tell Summer about it. Summer is attracted to Ashton, both for himself and for the way he and her daughter have bonded. She has come up with multiple reasons to call the "maintenance man" so that she can see him. It was fun to see Summer take the initiative to go after what she wanted, and Ashton's realization that he's out of time to come clean. Luck being what it is, Summer ends up finding out the truth before he can do so. Her shock is understandable, and I loved the conversation when they were finally able to talk about it. I loved Summer's reaction once she has all the facts and has had a chance to process them. I ached a bit for Ashton, who was tied up in knots over what he thinks she'll do. I loved seeing them deal with this issue and how it brought them closer together. The ending was really sweet and I loved his "proposal."

The suspense of the story is great. Someone has it in for the people at Omega and is intent on making them pay via the people they love. In this case, Ashton is the target and Summer and Chloe are the vehicle. It was interesting to see how the one bad guy delights in pulling the strings of the others, making them believe they are partners. This includes "Fawkes" who has his own agenda.  I loved the teamwork of the Omega folks and how each has an integral part in the investigation. The intensity continued to build with each attack as they race to figure out who is behind them. The final confrontation was riveting, but even more so was the aftermath. The "wall of clues" put together by the bad guy as his way of taunting the Omega team was scary in its complexity. It will be fascinating to see how the rest of the series goes.

Captain Rose's Redemption - Georgie Lee (HH #1379 - June 2018)

From gentleman to rogue

Who had her former fiancé become?

Captured by pirates off the Virginia coast, Lady Cassandra Shepherd is shocked to see in the blue eyes of Captain Rose the young man she loved and lost. What has caused him to exchange his honor for a chance at revenge? But he needs her help. Dare Cas believe the captain can reclaim his life as an upstanding gentleman and with it, her hand in marriage?

Overall a good book. I really liked the setting. I haven't read very many Harlequin Historicals that take place in the Georgian period, fewer still that are also in Colonial America. It was a very nice change of pace. Having spent a good part of my life in Virginia, I enjoyed recognizing locations, events, and historical figures. Though I found the early part of the book a bit slow, the pace and intensity increased as the story went on, and came to a very exciting conclusion.

Cassandra is on the way back to Virginia from England, where she had had a very unhappy marriage. Her husband had been a cruel man who delighted in humiliating her whenever possible. Her goal is to take her daughter and live on her family's plantation. She didn't expect an encounter at sea with the notorious pirate Captain Rose. She was even more shocked to discover that he is the fiancé that she had loved - until he was killed at sea. What has caused the drastic change in him?

I liked Cassandra and Richard. Cassandra's life in recent years hasn't been a happy one, especially when her husband trashed her reputation. After his death, she is determined to bring her plantation back to life, no matter what she has to do. I admired her strength and determination and ached for her frustration at having to play along with the society games to succeed. Her hurt at Richard's deception is understandable, though I was a little frustrated by her refusal to see why he is so driven. I liked Richard. His anger at the way he was treated is believable, as is his thirst for revenge. Though he first gives the impression of being a hardened pirate, his actions show his true nature. The loyalty and respect showed to him by his crew was a good indicator of who he is, as was his determination to clear their names as well as his own.

The development of their relationship was interesting. Richard had never lost his love for her but never expected to see her again. Even now, he believes that there is no way for them to be together, even if he can clear his name. But he does demand her help. Cassandra also never forgot her love for Richard, but her feelings of hurt and betrayal over his deception are hard to ignore. Though he explains his reasons, she is rigid in her refusal to accept that revenge is more important. They did not part ways on the best of terms.

The action starts to pick up as Richard continues to seek the evidence he needs. Meanwhile, Cassandra is back in Virginia, being courted by the very man who Richard is trying to destroy. As Richard's actions begin to bear fruit, the bad guy's desperation intensifies, trapping Cassandra in the middle. Cassandra receives a shock when Richard's crew bring him to her for healing when he's injured. That time together is intense, as their love grows, but so does their danger. Richard's attempt to do the right thing lands him right back in trouble, with an even greater incentive to get the proof he needs. At the same time, the bad guy increases the pressure on Cassandra so he can get what he wants.  The final confrontation was terrific, with some vital information coming from an unexpected source. I was glued to the pages until it was all over and I could see how it was going to turn out.

The epilogue was very intriguing. There's a good scene of Richard and Cassandra as we see that they have made a good start at revitalizing Belle View. Most interesting is the scene with two of the secondary characters. I hope that there will be a book involving these two as it has the potential to be fantastic.

Dead Ringer - B.J. Daniels (HI #1731 - Sept 2017)

Series: Whitehorse MT: McGraw Kidnapping (Book 2)

Can a stubborn cowboy recapture the one who got away?

Ledger McGraw may know all about horses, but he doesn't know anything about the lie that broke up his first romance with waitress Abby Pierce. Abby, tricked into marrying the wrong man, is at the end of her tether in her abusive relationship. When she learns the truth about her terrible marriage, she becomes desperate to escape it -- before her jealous husband kills her.

Though Ledger's heart was wounded by Abby, he'll still do anything to protect her and free her from her violent spouse. He's determined to win her back and reignite their passion…

Good second book to the series. I somehow managed to read books one and three, and missed this one. I liked getting the gaps filled in. The overarching theme of the series is that the two youngest McGraw children, twins Oakley and Jesse Rose, were kidnapped as babies, twenty-five years earlier. Their father, Travers, has never given up hope of finding them. In the first book, Dark Horse, a true crime writer with a personal stake in the story, uncovered some new information. There are plenty of twists and turns, leading into this book.

In the first book, Abby was introduced as Ledger's former girlfriend and the woman he still loves. Unfortunately, she is married to someone else, an abusive man with a jealous streak. This book opens with Abby in the hospital, supposedly having fallen from a ladder. She can't remember what happened, but she knows that the story Wade tells the doctor is wrong. He's beaten her before, but this is the first time she's ended up in the hospital. Abby's gut feeling is right, as we also get the point of view of Wade and his father, Huck. Abby is in deep trouble, and the sooner she remembers the better chance she'll have of protecting herself.

I really liked Ledger. He is a good man who has never stopped loving Abby. He wants to protect her, but he can't do anything until she asks for help. The best he can do is to remain a presence in her life so that she knows she can count on him if she wants to. Ledger is also very protective of his family. The newest information on the kidnapping has him worried about the effect on his father if it isn't true. I liked the way that he was supportive of his dad, but still wary of blindly trusting.

I was frustrated by Abby at the beginning. She knew she was being abused, but she kept going back to Wade and trusting that he would change. She also knew that Ledger's attention was like waving a red flag at a bull when it came to her husband. I was relieved when she finally made a decision, though she very nearly left it too late. I also liked that she was very careful of her actions around Ledger while she was still married to Wade.

I liked the development of the relationship between Abby and Ledger. He was the one to come to her rescue and gave her a safe place to stay while she recovered. He was also protective of her, especially as her memories began to return. It was terrific to see that he controlled his temper over what had been done to her, and followed her wishes when it came to dealing with Wade. There was no doubt about the love that still existed between them, they just had to be patient before they could do anything about it.

There were multiple story threads going on during the book. First was whatever was going on with Wade and his father, that put Wade even more on edge. Abby's certainty that she had overheard something that put her in danger was borne out early in the book. There is also something going on between Huck and Abby's mother, something that had been their motivation for breaking up Abby and Ledger, and pushing her and Wade together. The McGraw family lawyer is also up to his eyeballs in something that has to do with Travers McGraw's second wife (see book 1). Then there is the appearance of a young man who claims to be Oakley McGraw. The evidence points to it being true, but there are also some things that raise questions.

The suspense of trying to figure out what it was that Abby couldn't remember, tied up with the threats made by Wade and Huck, kept me glued to the pages. Things got even more interesting as the McGraws got to know the man claiming to be Oakley. There were good things and bad things about him, and I couldn't decide if I wanted it to be true or not. A new player came through with some unexpected information as all the threads began to unravel. The final confrontation was very intense, with a satisfactory ending.

Having already read the third book, Rough Rider, I already knew the conclusion, but I liked getting the rest of the story. I highly recommend reading them in order, though!